Virginia Louise Riley Hillman, age 57, passed away peacefully Tuesday evening, June 16, 2026 under the care of Corewell Health Hospice.

Virginia, called Gini by her friends, was a loving wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend. She will be remembered for her contagious laughter, her fierce love for her family, and her enduring positive attitude. Even in the face of a devastating diagnosis, she stayed determined to live each day to the fullest.

Gini continuously put in effort to spend quality time with the people she cared about. She was known as the "activity planner," often hosting get-togethers, dinners, & game nights. Many family friends shared humor, fun, and her delicious – and healthy, as she frequently emphasized – homemade desserts.

Virginia cared deeply for the world around her and had the heart of an environmentalist. In the summers she had off as a teacher, she was typically found hard at work outside. Gini was a "doer," spending her afternoons cultivating her vegetable garden and caring for her horses & chickens.

Of her hobbies, horseback riding was her favorite. When Gini wasn't riding her beloved horses, she was at work grooming, feeding, and training them. Owning horses required an immense amount of attention and maintenance, but she always ensured they were healthy & happy.

Any time she was asked about meeting her husband, Gini confidently stated, "By the third date, I knew I would marry him." As a pair, Jamie and Gini shared 29 years of marriage together. They worked as a team tackling home projects, raising their two kids, and building their farm.

Amongst teaching and having a social life, Virginia balanced quality time with her kids and her husband Jamie. She organized many spring & summer vacations across the country. Over the years, they traveled as a family to Washington, Nevada, Florida, California, Kentucky, Tennessee, and more.

After graduating from GVSU, and landing her first educator position at Northport, Gini received a job offer to teach 3rd grade at Beach Elementary in Cedar Springs. Students consistently picked Mrs. Hillman as their favorite 3rd grade teacher. Virginia was an enthusiastic storyteller during read-aloud, and she shared a vibrant classroom library with her students. at Beach Elementary in Cedar Springs. Students consistently picked Mrs. Hillman as their favorite 3rd grade teacher. Virginia was an enthusiastic storyteller during read-aloud, and she shared a vibrant classroom library with her students.

Virginia was preceded in death by her father, Harold W. Riley. Surviving are her mother, Lillian Riley; her husband, James A. Hillman; their children, Ainsley and Keenan Hillman; two sisters and a brother, Colleen & Tom Donahue, Linda & Dave Kruppa, and Jim & Sara Riley; two brothers-in-law, Kyle and Michele Hillman, and Randy and Donna Hillman; as well as several nieces and nephews.

Private invites for Virginia’s Celebration of Life will be released soon. Rather than sending flowers, her family would appreciate donations made in her memory to the National Wildlife Federation, supporting conservation of monarch butterfly habitats. NWF Donations: https://support.nwf.org/page/58590/donate/1

If you wish to send regards to Virginia's family, sign her online guest book, or to share a favorite memory, please visit: www.MichiganCremation.com

Cremation arrangements are entrusted to Christiansen’s Michigan Cremation & Funeral Care, Greenville, 616-754-5638.